PAGE 10 FEB 18 2016

PAGE 10 FEB 18 2016

Ebonyi governor’s convoy jolts man off Abuja Bridge

By Taiwo Adeniyi & Ogechi Jaiyesimi

A man fell off a flyover bridge in Abuja after he was said to have been jolted by the sirens of vehicles in the convoy of Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi on Tuesday.

Witnesses said the driver identified as Mukaila Inakakana fell into a ditch from the flyover bridge near Setraco before the NNPC substation along the Kubwa Expressway and no vehicle among the convoy stopped after the accident.

He was driving in a Mercedes-Benz vehicle with registration number YAB 91 EW when the incident happened at about 10a.m.

A witness, Genevieve Alonsus said the convoy of the Ebonyi State governor was involved in the accident though he could not say if the convoy actually hit the vehicle or the driver veered off the road into a ditch on hearing the sirens.

But the Gwarinpa Police Station’s Divisional Police Officer, Chief Superintendent Hayatu Shafa said the driver was jolted by the convoy’s siren and veered off the flyover bridge into a ditch.

He said the driver was trying to avoid the convoy, adding that they did not stopped after the incident leaving the man trapped the vehicle.

Another witness simply identified as Smith, said a crane was used to lift the vehicle from the ditch while sympathisers among the mammoth crowd who gathered at the scene assisted in removing the injured man from the vehicle.

“An oncoming police van was waved down and used to convey the injured man to the Maitama General Hospital from where he was referred to the Trauma Centre at National Hospital. He was alive when his daughter came to meet us at the hospital,” he said.

A relation, Mallam Yakubu Inakakana said the man died at the Trauma Centre yesterday morning.

He however expressed dissatisfaction over reactions of officers from the Ebonyi State Liaison Office in Abuja.

“The liaison office said the governor was not liable because there was no contact with the vehicle but they knew that the siren scarred him,” Yakubu said.

He said the liaison office said the governor who was in a vehicle among the convoy could not stop because he was rushing for a meeting and there was no back up vehicle among the three vehicles in his convoy.

He explained that the officer whom he spoke to on phone that identified himself as the protocol officer said the governor will be contacted to “see what he can do about the issue based on humanitarian ground.”

The Protocol Officer of the Ebonyi State Liaison Office in Abuja could not be reached as his phone line was switched off as at press time.

When contacted, the Head Media, National Hospital, Tayo Hastrup failed to get back to our reporter as he promised.

Relations of the deceased said he was buried yesterday at about 12:30p.m, according to Islamic rites at the Gwarinpa Cemetery after a funeral prayer was observed at the National Mosque.

Oct 1 bombing: Okah’s daughter demands father’s release

By John Chuks Azu

Daughter of Charles Okah, who is facing charges over the October 1, 2010 Independence Day bombing in Abuja, has written the trial judge seeking release of her father.

Tarila Okah who lives in Canada, has pleaded with Justice Gabriel Kolawole of an Abuja Federal High Court to speedily dispense with her father’s case to enable him attend to his deteriorating health as well as her forthcoming wedding.

In the letter, which was read in court yesterday, Tarila criticized the delay in the prosecution of the case and the denial of bail to her father to enable him seek medical care for pile and other ailments.

After reading the letter, Okah’s counsel Samuel Zibiri (SAN) apologized to the court for the way the judge was addressed and the issues raised in the letter.

Prosecution counsel, Alex Izinyon (SAN) denied delaying the case, saying delays arose from the applications brought by the defendants.

He informed that the federal government has paid medical bills for the treatment of Okah at the National Hospital in Abuja.

The case has been adjourned to Feb 22 for hearing.

Sack of VCs: Coalition urges education minister to resign

By Abubakar Haruna, Ismail Mudashir, Musa Abdullahi Krishi & Ibrahim Kabiru Sule

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups has called on the minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu to resign his appointment for “illegal” sacking of 13 vice-chancellors of federal universities.

The leader of the group, Etuk Williams Bassey made the call shortly after a peaceful protest organised by the group in Abuja yesterday.

According to him, the minister has breached the constitution on the matter as well as violated the federal character principles by appointing six vice-chancellors from Bayero University, Kano and two from Katsina State.

He insisted that if their demands were not met they would go to the court to seek redress.

Also leader of a Non-Governmental Organisation, Network of Young Females Leaders of ECOWAS Community, Comrade Lilian Cosmos has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute a committee that would investigate the minster for the benefit of the country.

FG, national assembly tasked on transparent budgeting

By Ojoma Akor

The federal government has been advised to open up the budgeting process in order to ensure transparency, responsiveness and accountability.

This was part of recommendations made by civil society organisations and other stakeholders in a communiqué issued after their meeting convened by a coalition of civil society organisations and the Partnership for Advocacy in Child and Family Health (PACFaH) in Abuja.

They also called on the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight roles and functions to ensure more transparency and accountability in the budget process.

The communiqué was signed by Chairman, Board of Trustees of HERFON, Dr. Ben Ayene, National coordinator of PACFaH, Dr. Judith-Ann Walker, Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) Ahmed Yakassai and Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Dr Lawrence Obembe among others.

While stating that the 2016 federal government health budget was characterized by lack of transparency and misplacement of priorities, they said more funding option should be explored to ensure sustainable health financing for better health outcomes.

NANS faults FG on increased electricity tariff

By Chidimma C. Okeke

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has faulted the federal government on the recent increment in electricity tariff.

NANS Vice President External Affairs, Oluwatosin Ogunkuade stated this during a press briefing in Abuja.

The association called on the federal government to subsidize the electricity tariff, saying the opinion of Nigerians do not support such increase when there was no corresponding improvement in the supply.

Also NANS urged the government to subsidize electricity tariff until adequate stability and considerable percentage circulation of meter was achieved.

‘APC candidates not barred from Kogi re-run polls’

By Chris Agabi

The Network for Change and Good Governance (NCGG) has debunked claims that two candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) contesting Saturday’s elections in Kogi State have been disqualified.

The candidates are Abdulmumuni Ibrahim contesting the Anpka 1 state constituency for the House of Assembly and Senator Ibrahim A. Alhaji for Kogi East senatorial seat.

National Chairman of NCGG, Ismaila Y. Atumeyi told Daily Trust that the purported ban was just a distraction by the opposition party to cause disaffection among the teaming supporters of the APC in the state.